T. Strauss | Wildside Cinema

Staff Picks: Tony Strauss 2/12

Feb 212012

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) – The film that introduced the world outside Europe to the cinematic genius of Peter Greenaway, and to the exquisite beauty of Helen Mirren’s fabulous body, this visually sumptuous tale of love, cruelty and revenge takes place over the course of one week at an exclusive restaurant that has been taken over by an oafish, loathsome gangster (a pre-Dumbledore Michael Gambon in a bad-guy role for the ages) who fancies himself a gourmet. Easily Greenaway’s most accessible film, this movie is a simultaneous delight for, and assault on, all the senses: it’ll make you hungry, horny, dazed, disgusted, delighted, and, ultimately, will quench your thirst for delicious revenge. Every single frame of this beautiful film could be blown up and hung on a gallery wall—it is a dark, multi-sensory, gluttonous delight. Continue reading »

Film Review: McIntyre’s ‘The Los Angeles Ripper’ (2011) May Have a Dull Edge but Still Cuts Deep

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Jan 222012

Cute, chaste and innocent Kristy White (Celeste Martinez) moves to Los Angeles from rural Ohio in order to pursue a career as a metal singer. Staying at the home of her lump-on-the-couch Aunt Peggy (Beverly Bassette) and her self-obsessed party animal cousin Angel (Chase Monroe) while taking vocal classes, Kristy is the embodiment of fresh meat dropped into the shark tank that is L.A.

Meanwhile, L.A. local Grahm (Randy Tobin) spends his days wandering the streets of Los Angeles, enjoying the local color, selling and imbibing in the local drugs, picking up and having sex with the local hotties, and brutally killing them for kicks.

On a night out clubbin’ with Angel, Kristy is introduced to Grahm when Angel scores some “party favors” from him. Grahm takes an instant liking to Kristy, and, as he Continue reading »

Staff Picks: Tony Strauss 1/12

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Jan 182012

Dogtooth (2009) – This brilliantly unnerving film from Greek filmmaker Giorgos Lanthimos depicts a family whose children are raised without ever being allowed to leave the family’s fenced-in property. The parents bring up the kids through an elaborate system of rules, punishments and lies. An intelligent and bizarre squirm-fest that takes the home-school concept to intense, funny and horrifying extremes. This movie has stayed with me in a way that few movies ever do. Dare I say masterpiece? Continue reading »

BEST OF 2011: Tony Strauss

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Dec 282011

The Woman – My favorite film of the year is one that divides audiences, and, in at least one case, breaks their brain (see famous YouTube freak-out video). The story of a man who captures a feral woman and attempts to “civilize” her really tells its story well, and keeps you squirming in your seat. Everything about the movie worked for me. Lucky McKee nails it yet again, and yet again shows us where the REAL monsters live. Chilling. Continue reading »

Film Review: Lugones’ ‘The Devil’s Toy’ (2010) Packs a Diabolical Punch for a Short Film

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Nov 032011

Promo Poster

The Devil’s Toy has sat hidden away at the back of Grandpa’s (Joe Capozzi) closet since his return from tour of duty in WWII. Acquired for a horrifying price during the raid of a Nazi concentration camp, he’s kept it safely concealed for decades. But one night, his young grandson (Liam Makrogiannis) and his best friend (Alex Marshall) decide to sneak it out of the closet and find out for themselves what’s kept inside the mysterious old box…

Ironically, one of the most common annoyances encountered in the medium of The Short Film is that most short films are too damned long. I’d say that a good 75% of all the short films I’ve ever seen could’ve used one final polish with a pair of scissors. It’s a tricky medium, and very difficult to get right from a Continue reading »

Film Review: Bickert’s ‘Dear God No!’ (2011) Offers Nothing but Gratuitous Sleaze & Ultra Violence (It’s Awesome)

Action, Crime, Exploitation, Horror, Revenge, T. Strauss No Responses »

Oct 212011

Theatrical Poster

While I was waiting outside the theater waiting to be let in for the Las Vegas PollyGrind Festival screening of Dear God No!, a hairy, drunken, tattooed biker detached himself from a large group of hairy, drunken tattooed bikers and staggered over to me. He threw his arm around my shoulders and slurred, “You’re a beautiful man. Just a…beautiful man.” Unsure of the correct Emily Post-approved response in this particular social situation, I smiled politely and replied, “Thanks.” He then leaned in closer and declared, “What is it with glory holes these days? There are no glory holes anywhere any more…not even in Vegas. What’s with that shit?” It was at that moment that I thought to myself, Am I about to be raped by a biker?

My fear was slightly diminished when he continued with, “I’m gonna Continue reading »

Film Review: Follow this ‘YellowBrickRoad’ (2010) At Your Own Risk

Horror, T. Strauss, Thriller 3 Responses »

Aug 312011

DVD Artwork

This creepy little festival sleeper from first-time writer/director team Jesse Holland and Andy Mitton is a film that really has its work cut out for it. The premise and setup will inevitably conjure up knee-jerk, dismissive comparisons to The Blair Witch Project (1999) before one’s even seen the film itself. The slow-burn, character-driven storyline will put off much of today’s ADHD Generation of viewers accustomed to blaring metal soundtracks and rapid-fire jump shocks. The film provides no easy answers for the casual viewer seeking simple escapist thrills. This is a film destined to divide audiences in a hurry. And it happens to be one of the best genuine horrors to come along in quite some time.

The opening title cards inform us that, “One morning in 1940, the entire population of Friar, New Hampshire, walked north up an unmarked trail into the wilderness. Some were later found frozen to death. Others were mysteriously slaughtered. Most, however, were never found.” Period photos from the area depict the citizenry as seemingly normal people who Continue reading »

Film Review: ‘The Super’ (2010) Brings Grime Back to Indie Cinema & Exploitation Junkies

Crime, Exploitation, Horror, Revenge, T. Strauss, Thriller 6 Responses »

Jun 252011

DVD Artwork

George Rossi (Demetri Kallas) is a Vietnam vet who lives in Astoria Queens, and is the super of an apartment building that has been in his family for over 40 years. It’s a station he’s proud of, and he treats his tenants with respect and warmth, trying to provide the best life possible for his wheelchair-bound wife, Maureen (Lynn Lowry), and their withdrawn daughter, Helen (Logan De Sisto). Oh, sure, some of the tenants take advantage of his kindness, as Maureen never hesitates to point out, and some of them are downright disrespectful, but George does his best to take these things in stride.

George’s job carries a lot of pressure. Russian dominatrix Continue reading »

Film Review: Jodorowsky’s Cult Cinema Masterpiece, ‘Santa Sangre’ (1989), Receives a Breathtaking Release

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Jun 132011

DVD Artwork

Saying that Fenix (Axel Jodorowsky) has had a rough life would be a bit of an understatement. Having grown up as a boy magician in a circus run by his drunken, knife-throwing father Orgo (Guy Stockwell) and religious cult zealot mother Concha (Blanca Guerra), with a circle of friends consisting of a deaf-mute girl, a two-foot-tall elephant trainer and a Greek chorus of clowns, you’d think a kid would be used to some weirdness. And you’d be right—he’s able to take in-stride the tragic death of his favorite elephant, its bizarre funeral in which the giant casket is dropped into a ravine then savagely broken into by ravenous peasants, even a ritualistic chest-tattoo-by-knifepoint administered by his father as a Continue reading »